Chapter 18

Chapter 18
## Chapter 18: Half Success (2)

—

“That is…”

Overwhelmed by the heavy, suffocating aura radiating from Sima Geon, Hwang Yeong’s voice trailed off into silence. Taking over for her, Hwang Jeong spoke with a somber gravity.

“To speak candidly, the internal essence of a Snow Mountain Flower Fox is a treasure even more elusive than the Celestial Pure Jade Milk. If my recollection is correct, our family archives mention it being utilized for medical intervention only a single time in our entire history.”

Hwang Jeong looked toward Hwang Yeong, seeking a silent confirmation of this historical fact.

As she gave a small nod, Cheol Woo, his brow furrowed in deep concentration, finally broke his silence.

“What about the Bone Changing Great Method?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I once heard of a master skilled in the cultivation of dual yin-yang energies who employed the Bone Changing Great Method to save a patient suffering from a nearly identical affliction.”

Cheol Woo directed a meaningful look toward Sima Geon as he proposed the idea.

However, the spark of hope that ignited in Sima Geon’s eyes was quickly extinguished by Hwang Yeong’s stern gaze.

“It is an impossibility,” she stated, her voice more certain than it had been all evening.

“I cannot speak to whatever ‘similar’ ailment you heard of, but the Nine Yin Severed Meridians and the Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian are divine curses sent by the heavens. No standard Bone Changing Great Method could ever hope to unravel them. One would require a source of ultimate yang energy to neutralize the deep-seated yin qi, the precision to balance those opposing forces perfectly, and the Heavenly Eyes to see through every hidden acupoint in the body simultaneously. Do you truly believe a human being with such power exists?”

“Then tell me, does the esteemed doctor possess such god-like traits that she thought herself capable of this treatment?”

Cheol Woo’s voice was laced with sarcasm, his patience thinning from the constant dismissal of every suggestion.

Even Hwang Jeong, who had gone to great lengths to bring Hwang Yeong to this place, found his temper rising as he shouted back.

“The strength to combat the yin qi was drawn from the Celestial Pure Jade Milk, and the internal chaos was managed through the Golden Needle Technique. Our family’s ultimate secret, the Piercing Heaven Soul Revival, can bring a soul back so long as the breath has been gone for less than half an incense stick’s time. But this version of the Golden Needle Technique does more than exhaust the mind; it requires the practitioner to channel every drop of their cultivation into the needles. It is a gamble of one’s life. Even with my assistance and the help of Guardian Gok, keeping that rampaging energy in check was nearly impossible. Do you grasp the weight of what occurred?”

As Hwang Jeong grew more heated, Hwang Yeong reached out to pull his sleeve, shaking her head gently. A look of weary bitterness touched her features. Seeing her expression, Hwang Jeong let out a heavy breath and forced his anger back down.

Cheol Woo, the catalyst of the outburst, found himself shrinking under the cold, piercing stare of Sima Geon.

A heavy, uncomfortable silence reclaimed the room. No one seemed to have the words to bridge the gap. Eventually, Sima Ho, who had been watching the exchange with wide, nervous eyes, ventured a question.

“Regardless… it sounds like the procedure was mostly a success, right?”

“Yes… that is technically true,” Hwang Jeong admitted with a hesitant nod.

“Then, even if we don’t have some mythical beast’s heart like that Snow Mountain Flower Fox, couldn’t we just give her a very potent yang tonic to finish the job?”

Proud of his own logic, Sima Ho beamed, looking around the room for approval.

Hwang Yeong offered a sad, thin smile and shook her head once more.

“The yin qi remaining in her body resisted even the Celestial Pure Jade Milk and our clan’s highest arts. Nothing but an extreme yang treasure on the level of the Snow Mountain Flower Fox’s core will suffice. Man-made medicine simply cannot reach that level of potency…”

“Actually, there is a medicine like that.”

Sima Ho interrupted her, his face lit with sudden confidence.

“What are you talking about?” Sima Geon asked, his interest piqued despite himself.

“Our big brother once obtained a special medicine from an elder of the Beggar Clan. He followed the man for ten days straight, begging until the elder gave in. It’s called the Yellow Dog Pill, a legendary secret of their clan…”

Sima Ho glanced at Hwang Yeong before diving into the details.

“They harvest the… well, the essence of yellow dogs at a specific time, combine it with rare herbs, and boil it for three days. My brother said the elder swore it was the ultimate yang booster. He even claimed it was better than the Shaolin Great Reversion Pill… Ow!”

Sima Ho’s excited explanation ended in a yelp as he was physically hauled away.

“Hey! Let go!” Sima Ho shouted, trying to pry Cheol Woo’s hand off his ear.

“You idiot! Stop telling stories about how our brother got swindled!”

“It was real! After he took that Yellow Dog Pill, he was—”

“Quiet, before I turn you into a snack for a dog.”

Cheol Woo turned his back, his face flushing a deep shade of crimson. Even for someone as thick-skinned as he was, the sheer absurdity of Sima Ho’s suggestion was too much to bear.

“Please forgive him. He is all muscle and no sense; my younger brother still has much to learn,” Sima Geon said, bowing apologetically to the two visitors.

“It is quite alright. The Yellow Dog Pill… what a unique name,” Hwang Yeong said, stifling a laugh. Then, her expression suddenly froze.

“Wait! That’s it. A yang elixir so powerful it truly does surpass the Snow Mountain Flower Fox.”

“What? What is it?” Sima Geon’s head snapped toward her.

“But… it is perhaps even more impossible to obtain than the fox core.”

“Tell me what it is,” Sima Geon insisted, his hands instinctively reaching out to grab Hwang Yeong’s arms in his desperation.

Looking into his eyes, which were burning with a frantic hope, Hwang Yeong spoke the name softly.

“The Shaolin Great Reversion Pill.”

—

Under the intense heat of the midday sun, Sima Geon took a moment’s rest, his eyes fixed on Sima Jin. She was moving through the butcher shop with purpose, cleaning and organizing with a newfound energy.

Her pace as she moved between the front counter and the back slaughterhouse was vibrant. There was no longer any sign of the girl who used to wheeze and stumble after taking only a few steps. To any casual observer, she looked perfectly healthy.

‘Hwang Yeong warned that she wasn’t fully healed, but she looks better than ever. As long as the sickness doesn’t return…’

The memory of the physician’s warning brought an involuntary sigh from Sima Geon’s lips.

“The floor’s going to crack if you keep sighing like that, boss.”

Cheol Woo, having just finished hanging a carcass to drain, sat down heavily next to Sima Geon.

Sima Geon gestured toward Sima Jin, who was humming to herself as she moved a bottle of liquor Cheol Woo had left out.

“Are you worrying about the little one?”

“The little one? Didn’t we all agree last night to stop calling her that?”

Cheol Woo’s eyes went wide with panic. He peeked over his shoulder to see if Sima Jin had heard him.

“Phew! I don’t know how someone so small can be so scary. She used to be so quiet.”

Having spent the previous night being scolded for that exact nickname, Cheol Woo took the bottle back from Sima Geon and gave a small shiver.

“I warned you. She isn’t the same girl she was a week ago.”

While the treatment hadn’t been a total cure, the struggle against the Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian had changed Sima Jin’s very essence. It was as if she had been reforged. Her physical stature hadn’t changed much, but the sickly pallor was gone, replaced by a radiant beauty that had previously been hidden by her suffering.

In just a few days, local gossip was already comparing her to a celestial being returned to earth, and the rumors were spreading far beyond Soheung.

It wasn’t just her appearance that had changed. The genius inherent in those born with the Heavenly Yin Divine Meridian was beginning to surface now that the “curse” was partially lifted. Calling her “little one” was a quick way to draw her ire as she realized her own potential.

“Haha! It’s a hard habit to break,” Cheol Woo chuckled, keeping a wary eye on her as he finished the bottle. He licked his lips and asked in a low voice, “So, are we going to go take one?”

“Take what?”

“What else? The pill from the Shaolin Temple.”

Sima Geon remained silent. Cheol Woo smirked, nudging him.

“You’re not going?”

“I need to think. I won’t rush into this.”

Cheol Woo laughed at the answer. “You’ll be packed and ready before the week is out.”

“I won’t.”

“Are you sure?” Cheol Woo asked, knowing his friend’s heart better than anyone.

“Yes. Miss Hwang said she would be stable for a long time. There is no immediate danger. I only just got back to my family; I want to enjoy this peace for a while. Besides, Shaolin is a long journey. I need to prepare and make sure this shop can run without us.”

“Right, the shop. If we both head to Shaolin, the business dies.”

Cheol Woo nodded, but then realized what Sima Geon had said. “Wait… ‘we’?”

“You’re planning on coming too?” Sima Geon asked, surprised.

Cheol Woo’s jaw dropped. “What kind of question is that? You weren’t actually thinking of leaving me behind, were you?”

When Sima Geon didn’t immediately answer, Cheol Woo shook his head in disbelief. “Unreal. I feel completely betrayed.”

“It’s not that. Someone has to stay and manage the business and look after the others…”

“Save it.”

No matter how Sima Geon tried to justify it, Cheol Woo remained visibly offended. Finally, Sima Geon threw his hands up in defeat.

“Fine. We go together. Are you satisfied?”

“Of course. You really hurt my feelings there, boss,” Cheol Woo said, his grin returning instantly. “But if we’re both going, we need to train the others to take over.”

“Train who?”

“Hyeon and Ho. Ho is already working here, and you said you were going to bring Hyeon home from the tea house, right?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Perfect. If I drill them for six months, they’ll be passable butchers.”

Sima Geon looked at him skeptically. “You’ve been a butcher for about three days yourself. Don’t act like a master.”

“Hey! I was born for this. Even the Old Man said I had a natural talent for the blade.” Cheol Woo threw a couple of playful punches at the air. “Anyway, the Shaolin trip is on hold until those two can run this place solo.”

“Agreed.”

“Hyeon is a hard worker, he’ll be fine. But Ho… speak of the devil.”

They spotted Sima Ho running toward them from down the road. Cheol Woo groaned.

“The sun isn’t even down yet. Why is he back so early?”

Sima Jin stopped her cleaning and leaned her broom against the wall as she watched her brother approach.

“Honestly, what an embarrassment,” she muttered as Sima Ho tripped over a loose stone and tumbled into the dirt.

“Yeah, training him is going to be a nightmare,” Cheol Woo added, rubbing his temples.

Sima Jin and Cheol Woo continued to mock him, but Sima Geon’s expression shifted. He noticed that as Sima Ho scrambled to his feet, he didn’t even stop to put his shoe back on. His face was devoid of color.

“B-big brother!”

Sima Ho’s voice was high and thin. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

Seeing his state, Sima Jin and Cheol Woo finally stopped joking, a cold sense of dread settling over the group.

“Take a breath. Tell me what happened,” Sima Geon said, reaching him in an instant and gripping his shoulders to steady him.

“L-little brother…” Sima Ho began, but his voice broke as he started to shake uncontrollably.

He didn’t need to say more. Sima Geon’s face turned into a mask of stone as his hands dropped to his sides.